Armor & Mobility

May/ June 2017

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General Raymond A. Thomas III currently serves as the 11th
Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
Prior to assuming command of USSOCOM, Gen. Thomas
served as Commander, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC),
Fort Bragg, N.C.
GEN Thomas' other assignments as a general officer include:
Associate Director for Military Affairs at the Central Intelligence
Agency; Commanding General, NATO Special Operations Com-
ponent Command – Afghanistan; Deputy Commanding General,
JSOC; Deputy Director for Special Operations, The Joint Staff in
the Pentagon; Assistant Division Commander, 1st Armor Division
in Iraq; and Assistant Commanding General, JSOC.
Prior to being promoted to brigadier general, Gen. Thomas also
served as the JSOC Chief of Staff and Director of Operations. His
other formative and key, joint and special operations assignments
include: Commander, Joint Task Force – Bravo, Soto Cano, Hondu-
ras; Commander, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Savannah,
Ga.; and Commander, B Squadron, 1st Special Forces Operational
Detachment – Delta, Fort Bragg, N.C.
He is a graduate of the US Army War College, Carlisle, Penn.,
and the Naval Command and Staff College, Newport, R.I.
Gen. Thomas is a native of Philadelphia, Pa. He attended the
United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., and was com-
missioned an infantry second lieutenant upon graduation in 1980.
LEVERAGING GLOBAL JOINT
ASSETS FOR PROACTIVE
THREAT DEFEAT
General Raymond Thomas III
Commander
U.S. Special Operations Command
(USSOCOM)
A&M: In light of continuing global regional conflicts creating potential
"avenues of action" by ISIS/ISIS-inspired groups/individuals, how
do you see USSOCOM's role under a new U.S. Administration being
redefined to better protect U.S. interests?
GEN Thomas: U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) elements
are well placed to address the threats posed by Islamic State in Iraq
and Syria (ISIS) and other like-minded organizations, primarily by
working by, with, and, through our international partners and with the
Interagency to support the Geographic Combatant Commands (GCCs).
The training, advice and assistance our forces provide to key countries
at risk helps to mitigate, disrupt and prevent threats before they reach
the homeland.
Under Chairman Dunford's leadership, USSOCOM was designated
the Department of Defense (DoD) Coordinating Authority for Counter-
ing Transregional Terrorist Organizations (CTTO). As the DoD Coordi-
nating Authority, USSOCOM looks across all of the GCCs in order to
improve timeliness and to develop a robust range of options for U.S.
leadership in the fight to defeat ISIS. Specifically, we developed a
global assessment program which is intended to enable DoD to seize
emerging opportunities and address challenges with every GCC com-
mander simultaneously. This approach continues to enhance our mili-
tary's unity of effort to leverage changes in the fight more seamlessly.
I anticipate this approach continuing under President Trump and
his team, with a renewed emphasis on ensuring we have the right tools
and resources we need to fight effectively. Timely and accurate intel-
ligence is key to making this approach work, and, therefore, requires
a network of partners sharing information across systems that can
process and act on it quickly.
Ultimately, we want to defeat ISIS, al Qaeda, and other extremist
groups to protect our homeland. Taking the fight to them impedes
their ability to maintain sanctuaries for training and launching attacks
against us. This networked approach will require long-term vigilance
with key indigenous partners on the ground leading the charge as well
as a focused effort to address the flow of money, people and ideology
that fuel groups like ISIS.
A&M: What can you tell us about USSOCOM's newly re-defined role in
supporting a U.S.-led initiative to counter the proliferation of WMDs?
GEN Thomas: On August 5, 2016, the President approved draft Unified
Command Plan (UCP) language for a Countering Weapons of Mass
Destruction (CWMD) global mission transfer from U.S. Strategic
Command (USSTRATCOM) to U.S. Special Operations (USSOCOM).
COMMANDER'S CORNER
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